Asus A8Jr 14.1-inch laptop features new ATI X2300 graphics

With the kind of elaborate cooling schemes and power supplies now demanded by top-of-the-line desktop graphics cards, we've rather given up hope of having a truly "cutting edge" graphics experience stuffed into an even somewhat portable laptop. That said, we do the best we can, and ATI's new X2300 Mobility Radeon graphics that Asus is featuring in its new A8Jr laptops sound promising, even if the main thrust of the card is enhanced performance-per-watt. Otherwise, the A8Jr looks to be well specced, but not a lot of surprises: there's a full range of Core 2 Duo processors, the Intel 945PM Express chipset, 802.11 a/b/g Intel PRO WiFi, optional Bluetooth 2.0, an ExpressCard slot, and a nice complement of video outputs, including TV-out, DVI and VGA. The computer measures 1.4 to 1.5-inches-ish thick and weighs 5.3 pounds with a 6 cell battery pack. Unfortunately, no word on display resolution on that 14.1-inch LCD, or any specifics on release date or price -- though it better be soon, 'cause this little guy is packing Windows XP, and that's not going to look so hot a week from now.

[Via 65-bit-computers]

[Stu L Tissimus @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:55AM]

Wait a second, ATi hasn't unveiled the R600 series yet. It was rumored it'd be shown off by the endo f January, though. Perhaps today's the day the NDA/press embargo stops?

[FZero @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:35AM]

Well, I'd be really looking forward to buy a new notebook WITHOUT Windows Vista. In fact this would be a diciding factor for me.

[duke @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:23PM]

im with you on this one, pal; but on the other hand, where vista's famous for hogging down system resources and jack up tons of hard drive spaces, means the vista capable machinese are actually quite powerful to carry out such monster os, graphic-wise, throughput performance-wise. so it might not be so bad to get one that has the vista sticker on it...

cause you know, first thing i do with new laptop is format the hard drive no matter what it came with

[StevO @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:08PM]

Dailytech has the scoop on the resolution (1440x900, no surprise) and says it should be out within the next two weeks. Hopefully, AMD will unveil the rest of the ATi X2k lineup by then.

http://www.dailytech.com/New+ASUS+A8Jr+Notebooks+Features+ATIs+Mobility+Radeon+X2300/article5802.htm

[Caramel @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:15PM]

The A8JS has 1440x960, so it's natural for this one to have the same.

[angrychimchim @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:21PM]

I think most new ASUS notebooks are coming with a free Vista upgrade coupon.

[oooh @ Jan 22nd 2007 2:28PM]

That Alienware has the new X1900 and all three people in tech support and sales that I spoke to did not have a clue what dual-link dvi means. ATi fails to mention it on their X1900 page...seems the X1600/X1700/X1800 have it mentioned as being dual-link ready yet only laptops with the X1600 have it activated such as the MacBook Pro & Acer 5000. It'd be nice to see the X2X series to have dual-link dvi so there aren't such slim pickings. At least tell us in the specs so the few of us who have high resolution monitors can figure it out.

[newby @ Feb 1st 2007 10:36AM]

Why would you format the hard drive right away? Exactly what would you do? (any details?)
Thanks.